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Category Archives: Nature

Hello all! Where did this month go?! I truly cannot believe I will be turning the pages of my calendar to October tomorrow. After next weekend, my busy, on-the-road-every-weekend social calendars slows a but (at least for a couple weeks), so I hope to be able to share more recipes and fun fall DIYs with you all. For now, let me catch you up on our comings and goings this past month:

The first glimpses of fall while on a walk in South Mountain Reservation near my in-law’s home in NJ / NYC by sunset in my side-view mirror on a drive home to Queens one Sunday evening / Election season brought a hopeful candidate who decorated our block with balloons *swoon*

Josh and I “celebrated” 7 years since our first meeting / we traveled to Baltimore to watch two dear friends get married, and enjoyed the ambience including a giant pink poodle at the American Visionary Art Museum / Dimona got cozy with three Suss-men while watching football / my MIL and I enjoyed some glowing animal ears at my cousin Jonah’s bar-mitzvah

I hope you all had a beautiful September. Looking forward to seeing you more next month and as we enter the holiday season! xo

Although I rarely take part in The Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenges (but always enjoy looking at what others have shared), this week’s topic was one I felt I could easily dive into. I realized that I never shared very many pictures from my trip to Amsterdam last year, and since that vacation was spent playing around with the focus on my new camera, I jumped at this opportunity to share some of my favorite shots responsive to this challenge.

The challenge reads as follows: “For this challenge, get out there and take a picture demonstrating the concept of focus. Depending on your skill level or type of camera, tinker with the manual settings, use the auto focus feature, or play around with an app.”

The first set of photos were taken at NDSM Werf, located just a short ferry ride from Centraal Station. The site is an abandoned ship yard turned artist’s haven with amazing sculptures, graffiti, statues, and other art installations created from rusted remains. I played with my camera’s focus while looking through a hole in a warehouse wall, first focusing on the graffiti inside, then shifting the focus to the brick I was looking through.

The difference is subtle, yet striking. I can’t decide which one I like more!

Here are a few others from the ‘Dam that I took while playing around with different focus and depth of field:

Looking through all of my photos again for the best to share really took me back. I’d recommend Amsterdam to anyone planning a trip to Europe! Wishing you all a lovely weekend! xo

To set the tone: we awoke to a gorgeous Sunday morning. We spent a brief moment lamenting the fact that we no longer lived half a block from Prospect Park in Brooklyn, where getting outside was just oh so easy. While Jackson Heights boasts a lot of green space available in the form of private yards, we have yet to find a really great park in our immediate vicinity.

However, all it took was a quick Google search and we were drowning in parks located in our new fabulous borough. As we were about to head to Queensbridge Park, I somehow landed upon the website for Socrates Sculpture Park in Astoria. As a brief “about the park”, the location is right on the waterfront where the Harlem and the East River meet. In fact, due to a large number of ship wrecks in this small waterway during the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch settlers named it “Hellegat” or “Hell Gate” in English.

This abandoned marine terminal fell into disrepair and became an illegal dumping ground until 1985 when a coalition of artists took over the space. “Socrates” was chosen as an ode to the philosopher but also in homage to the largest Greek population living in Astoria.

Josh and I had a fabulous day seeing the various sculptures, taking in the view, playing cards, and relaxing on our blanket in the shade. This small, funky park is a definite recommend to all you locals and tourists alike.

Everyday I feel more and more fortunate that Josh and I landed in Jackson Heights. The beginning of June brought a burst of some of the most gorgeous roses I have seen – and they are absolutely everywhere! Enjoy!

I dont know, it must have been the roses,
The roses or the ribbons in her long brown hair.
I dont know, maybe it was the roses,
All I know I could not leave her there.
– The Grateful Dead

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P&PB contains random musing, recipes, photos, fashion, projects and other little life happenings of this 20-something newlywed, attorney, dog mommy, and amateur foodie. Recent inhabitant of Queens, NYC (by way of Brooklyn, by way of Vermont...). Come on in and make yourself at home!